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Stress Release Smoothie + 7 superfood pantry staples

Welcome to day 2 of Smoothie Week!

In case you missed Monday’s post, here’s a quick catch up: Yesterday was National Smoothie Day and rather than just spending one day celebrating my favourite blended bevvy, you’re in for an entire week (well, 3 posts) of smoothie recipes, pro tips, and giveaways.

Today I want to talk about 7 of the superfood staples that I throw into my smoothies on a daily basis, many of which you’ll have already seen in many of my recipes. I’ll give you a quick lesson on what you need to know about each of them, and theennnnnnnnnn I’ll share a recipe and another great giveaway. Let’s get to it!

Moringa

This has become a staple in my smoothies ever since I met the amazing team behind Salome Naturals at CHFA West this year. Moringa leaf powder comes from the leaves of the moringa tree (as you probably expected), and it’s been used worldwide for improving health issues of all kinds, from anemia to asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, digestive issues and many others.

I could write an entire post about why moringa is great, but I’ll keep it to just a few reasons:

It contains 90+ vitamins and minerals.

30% of its weight is protein, and moringa is one of the only plant-based foods that contains all essential amino acids required for it to be considered a complete protein. (These essential amino acids are typically only found in animal-based products, but they’re called essential because our bodies can’t produce them ourselves.)

Moringa is believed to be an extremely potent anti-inflammatory. It’s also a coagulant which means it can help bind to harmful waste products and carry them out of the body.

It’s been suggested that it can help stabilize blood glucose, lower blood pressure and boost metabolism.

Goji Berries

These are a frequent topper for my smoothie bowls and I love tossing them into salads. They tend to absorb the moisture of other ingredients which plumps them up, making them soft and chewy. (The reason that they normally appear dry in their packaging is because no sweeteners or additives are used to make them moist – this is a good thing!) Here’s why they’re so super:

You wouldn’t expect it but goji berries are high in protein, containing 18 of the 20 amino acids.

They’re also rich in antioxidants (making them a great choice for skin health), over 20 vitamins (mainly A, C and E) and minerals.

By weight, goji berries contain more vitamin C than oranges, more beta-carotene than carrots, and more iron than soybeans and spinach.

Cacao Powder/Cacao Nibs

We all know dark chocolate is good for us, so why the heck aren’t we enjoying more of it!? Cacao powder is the ground form of what’s left once the oily part (cacao butter) is separated from the cacao bean. Aside from being absolutely delish, here are a few more reasons to get your daily dose:

Cacao contains anandamide and phenethylamine, also known as bliss chemicals that can improve mood, trigger endorphin release and make us feel happy.

It’s high in fiber which means it’ll help you to feel full.

Pure cacao powder – especially when eaten raw – is full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. One in particular is magnesium which can help us sleep better and can decrease muscle cramping. That’s especially important for athletes! Others include iron, polyphenols, flavonols, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids.

Raw cacao powder is one of the richest natural sources of antioxidants found in nature, and it contains even higher levels than your favourite bar of dark chocolate.

Maca Powder

Ever felt that sense of panic when you run out of something you eat almost every day? That’s how I feel when my maca supply is running low! Maca is a root native to Peru, and in addition to its mild nutty/butterscotch-y flavour, it offers a lot of benefits – particularly for athletes. Apologies to those who have heard me wax poetic about maca in the past, but here’s why:

Maca is an adaptogen, which means it helps your adrenal system to respond to stress and energy needs in the moment. The word ‘adapt’ suggests change, and that’s exactly what adaptogens do – they adapt to help your body cope with anxiety, to manage stress, and to regulate energy without crazy crashes and spikes.

It’s full of vitamins (B1, B2, B, C, D and E) and minerals (iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, selenium and calcium) and fiber. Maca also contains amino acids which help with performance, muscle recovery and growth.

The positive impact that maca has on the adrenal system would also suggest that it can have a positive impact on hormone balance and thyroid health. It’s also an aphrodisiac. ?

Hemp Seeds

Sprinkle them on smoothie bowls, pour them straight into your smoothies, mix them into salads, blend them into dressings, stir them into the batter of your baked goods… hemp seeds are so versatile! And…

Hemp is one of the most easily-digestible and absorbable plant-based sources of protein. It contains all of the essential amino acids and composition-wise, it contains more protein by weight than lots of other protein sources – even animal-based ones.

Hemp is also very rich in fiber, minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium) and healthy omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids.

Chia Seeds

If you’re a runner you’ve probably heard of the Tarahumara, an ancient civilization of crazy fast and efficient runners who fuelled themselves for hours on a simple mix of chia seeds, water, lime and sugar. The seeds have yet to give me Tarahumara-like speed, but there’s still plenty of other reasons to love them:

They’re full of healthy essential fatty acids (even more than salmon), antioxidants, protein and fiber.

Chia seeds can absorb 9-12 times their volume in water, so they’re perfect when used as smoothie thickeners if you let them sit and absorb the liquid for a few minutes.

Aside from smoothies, you can work them into pretty much any dish from oatmeal and yogurt parfaits to recipes that call for eggs (since they can be used to make a ‘chia egg’).

Açai

Açai (pronounced a-sigh-ee) bowls have become really popular in thanks to companies like Sambazon who sell ready-to-use frozen acai berry puree. Can’t find them? No worries – you can still take advantage of everything açai berries have to offer by adding them in powdered form to your smoothies.

Acai powder doesn’t dissolve easily in water, so you’ll probably enjoy it much more in a smoothie than if you were to try stirring it into a juice.

Bonus! Sea Buckthorn

I said I’d give you 7 superfoods, but I wanted to throw in one more that I’ve talked about before which is sea buckthorn. These are super resilient berries that grow in the Himalayas and contain omega 3, 6, 7 (yes, 7) and 9 fatty acids. My favourite source is Sibu’s Omega 7 Pure, which is a concentrated sea buckthorn berry puree that adds a lovely tartness to smoothies. I wrote an entire post about these a while back, so be sure to check it out here.

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And now for that recipe, a Stress Release Smoothie. This one uses two of the superfoods above and a bunch of ingredients you might already have sitting right in your kitchen. Everything in this smoothie has been added for a reason, from the superfoods explained earlier, right down to oats and cinnamon which help keep blood sugar in check, therefore preventing energy rollercoasters and mood swings.

For both giveaways, Canadian and US residents are eligible. Both will close at 8pm PT on Monday June 27th and winners will be contacted by email.

Good luck! ?

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and all of the health-related information discussed in this post is based on publicly available claims about what is currently thought to be true of these foods in the natural foods industry. Always consult your doc before taking new supplements to be sure they’re right for you.

Angela Simpson

My name is Angela and I've got a fiery passion for turning fresh, healthy ingredients into delicious mouth-watering meals. I love veggies, seafood, avocados, and exploring all things wellness in Los Angeles, the city I'm now proud to call home.

45 thoughts on “Stress Release Smoothie + 7 superfood pantry staples”

I would LOVE to try Salome Naturals Moringa. I have heard about it lately and want to try for me and my kids. This is an awesome giveaway! Thank you for the chance! I am a triathlete and am in search of the perfect smoothie that helps me in the mornings….

I’d not heard of Moringa, but now that I have I totally want to try it. I regularly use all the other smoothie superfoods. I really enjoy the Navitas products and often use them in your smoothie recipes. My favorite smoothie of yours is the Post Recovery Workout Smoothie with lime, coconut, maca, yum!

You have the best ideas and explanations for smoothie ingredients. I have tried chia and Acai but not the others. I am intrigued by Goji berries and would love to try those along with Moringa Cacoa, and Maca and Hemp. Pick me so I can not only see but try these tasty and nutritious products!!!

The Maca Powder had me at anxiety management! I recently got off anxiety medication and trying to find natural and healthy alternatives to managing anxiety and stress. I would love to try all these products but my number one pick would be Maca Powder!

I’m looking forward to adding Maca Powder to my and my daughters foods. My teenage daughter is slowly coming around to incorporating new veggies and chia into diet. It’s so hard to find satisfying AND healthy snacks for post workouts – she’s a swimmer and really needs something substantial – but not full of sugar and processed stuff. I plan to start trying out some homemade protein packed bars this weekend. My local organic famer has posted he will be offering moringa leaves this week – so I plan to try that too!

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